With so many travel insurers in the market, how do you really know who covers more than the other?
If you’re one of the millions of Australians now using price-comparison sites to find insurance, trying to decide on one policy can be a daunting task.
Finding a policy doesn’t mean buying the cheapest in the comparison table, you should aim to get cover which offers great benefits, and that gives you the best bang-for-your-buck!
Who really covers more?
It’s true that some policies cover more than others. Travel insurance policies usually fall into one of two categories: Basics or Comprehensive. Basics (sometimes called Medical Only) will cover you for overseas medical expenses. And comprehensive policies will include varying levels of cover for luggage and personal belongings, personal liability, rental vehicle excess, cancellation etc.
Who offers best value* for money?
We compared comprehensive policies on comparetravelinsurance.com.au for a 2 week trip worldwide, for one person, aged 30, and we found three policies offering great prices and great coverage:
- Fast Cover’s comprehensive policy at $92,30
- Insure and Go’s Gold policy at $96,61
- And 1Cover’s comprehensive policy at $99,80
These three products listed above will not be suitable for all trips. Depending on what you have planned, you should tailor the benefits to suit your needs. Certain benefits of the policy are likely to be more important to you than others. For example if you’re more concerned about covering your flights and accommodation than medical, then pick a policy that has unlimited cancellation cover.
Can I trust companies I’ve never even heard of?
All the insurers on Compare Travel Insurance are underwritten by reputable companies. So you shouldn’t be worried even if you haven’t heard of one before.
Large insurers tend to trade under a range of different names, or distribute their insurance policies through partners. An unknown brand could actually be backed by a large insurance company you have heard of.
For example, itrek and Kango Cover are underwritten by Allianz Australia. Priceline Protects are underwritten by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited. Insure and Go are underwritten by Mitsui Sumitomo. By choosing any of these providers you know you would be backed by a larger insurance company.
Who covers more expensive items?
These days many of us are taking away high value items like laptops and iPads, and your expensive Prada luggage might not be covered automatically as insurers have limits for single items.
Make sure that you check your benefit limits to ensure that you get enough cover for your needs. If you decide on a Basic policy it might have lower cover levels for luggage and personal items.
Some insurers cover more than others.
From the insurers listed on Comparetravelinsurance.com.au we found the highest ‘single item limit’ was from Southern Cross Travel Insurance with a single item limit for unspecified items at $1,500. For laptops, personal computers, tablets and related accessories their limit is $3,000.
American Express’s limit for unspecified items is $1,000. For any mobile phones including PDAs with phone capabilities it's $1,500. For cameras and video cameras it's $4,000, and $6,000 for laptop computers. They also offer new-for-old.
Products underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited have their single item limit at $750 such as Virgin Money, 1Cover and Worldcare.
Remember to always check your limits and any excess that applies. Assess what items you’re taking away with you, and specify any high value items you want to take away with you.
Compare and see who covers more.
Use Comparetravelinsurance.com.au to compare heaps of quotes and see which providers cover more than others today.
* ‘Best value’ is a representation of the three products in our comparison:
- that offer the most amount of benefits listed below,
- with the most amount of cover provided,
- at the cheapest price,
- for a 2 week trip, worldwide, 1 person, aged 30.
Benefits: Accidental Death, Additional Travel Expenses, Alternative Transport Expenses, Cancellation, Domestic Pets, Financial Default, Hijack and Kidnap, Hospital Cash Allowance, Legal Expenses, Loss of Income, Luggage, Luggage Delay Expenses, Medical, Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance, Permanent Disability, Personal Liability, Rental Vehicle Excess, Resumption of Journey, Theft of Cash, Travel Delay Expenses, Travel Documents & Traveller's Cheques.
General Advice Warning: The contents of this article were accurate at the time of writing. Insurers change their policies from time to time, so some information may have changed. You should always read the Product Disclosure Statement of your chosen insurer to understand what is covered and what isn't. The information provided is of a general nature only and does not take into account any personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your personal circumstances.
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